Strenghthening Bonds
by Belacquagirl
Summary: A one-shot focusing on Regina and Emma's friendship.


**Just a quick explanation: supposing everything had gone well and everyone got their happy endings by the end of 4a; Emma and Killian had got married and had a little girl.**

 **Good reading : )**

* * *

She heard the baby cry when she was still outside in the porch. She shared a look with Robin instants before the front door opened, a tired-faced Hook standing in the portal.

"Hey! Come on in!" He smiled tiredly and moved to give way for the couple to get inside.

Without the open air to dissipate the sound, the noise grew even louder. They walked to the living room, where David and Henry were talking, or at least trying to if it wasn't for the high-pitched screams that filled the house.

"Trouble with the baby, he?" Robin tried to ease the mood.

"Emma's having..." Hook searched for an ideal word to describe it "A difficult time bonding with Eva"

"Well, it seems strong lungs run in the family. Henry also wouldn't stop it when I first brought him here" she looked lovingly at her son for a moment.

David seemed a bit insulted by the remark.

"Only if it's for this generation; Emma didn't wail once while I was fighting _your_ guards, trying to get her to the portal"

"Only if it skipped a generation, then..."

If she was her old self, if she and the blonde hadn't got so close, she'd add that his daughter got annoying later, and not because of her crying; She chuckled slightly at the thought. Never, in all those years since Daniel died, would she think that she'd become friends with Snow Whites' daughter. And speaking of which...

"Where's Snow?"

"Upstairs. She's helping mom with the baby"

"Well, let's see if _my_ baby Swan experience can be useful up there" she glanced up the ceiling "and cease this awfully loud noise"

She made her way up the stairs leaving the men behind. It wasn't difficult to find out in which room the women were, for the source of the sound was pretty clear; she imagined that even someone deaf would be able listen. As she was just outside the door, however, the crying ceased.

"See? I told you... She hates me."

She opened the nursery door to find Emma on the verge of tears. She looked up at her mother who now rocked the newborn into sleep.

"Emma, no..." Snow didn't finish the sentence as she noticed Regina standing by the door. Emma followed her mothers' eyes and also spotted the older woman.

"Hi..." She said uncomfortably.

"Hey" Emma couldn't even force a smile. It was quite clear that she was devastated; the dark circles beneath her eyes betrayed the tiredness of many sleepless nights and the lack of the usual spark in her eyes betrayed the anguish she tried to hide behind a mask. Regina supposed she mustn't have managed a good sleep since she came from the hospital, some days ago.

"What's going on?" Regina asked sympathetically, going back to the matter at hand.

Emma breathed in deeply and shut her eyes closed.

"My daughter hates me" she whispered.

"Emma, no... This is not true and you know it" Snow looked worried over her daughter, still bouncing the baby from one side to the other.

"It is! She stops at once when you hold her!" She looked desperate but, more than that, hurt.

It was understandable, seeing this was the first child Emma would get to actually raise, and to really stop a baby from crying was quite different than the memory of soothing one.

"Emma, look, your mother has something that babies absolutely adore, ok? Henry was also like this, he wouldn't stop for a second! Gosh, I even took him to the hospital thinking there was something wrong with him! Then, in a matter of seconds after your mother holds him, he calms down" she eyed the blonde to see if she was following "what I'm trying to say is, some babies are like this; some of them cry, a lot. You just have to learn how to calm them and, for that, you need confidence."

She gave Snow an encouraging look and a nod; she understood the message instantly. Moving forward, she put Eva back in Emma's arms

"Please, don't cry. Please, please don't cry" she whispered under her breath as the small bundle made its way into her arms. She looked at her daughter pleadingly for a moment, before the small, pink face contorted again. It was almost impressive at how such a small thing could produce such a loud cry.

"I told you..." Tears left Emma's eyes and tracked their way down her cheeks.

"Emma, here, this worked on Henry. Lift her up a moment and then rock her. This way." she put her hands on the blonde's arms and led them softly "That's it. Just a little bit gentler. Yes, like this..."

In a few moments, the high-pitched cry ceased completely, the infants' face regaining its normal colour with only a tinge of red on the cheeks. She eyed her mother deeply, as though as she could see into Emma's soul.

Emma couldn't help a smile that soon became a grin. She pressed the tiny baby closer to her chest, always so gently.

"Hey there" she whispered, her eyes never leaving Eva's blue ones. The brunettes in front of her long forgotten.

Snow and Regina shared a knowing smile and silently made their way out

"Regina!" She heard as she was about to pull the door closed behind her. She turned her body to face Emma "Thank you."

Regina smiled at her, a smile that she only got to know in the recent years, one that says much without a single word.

She left the door slightly open as she resumed her way downstairs, but not before Eva managed a lazy yawn and her eyelids fluttered tiredly, fighting off the sleep to share a moment longer with her mother.

Emma adjusted the blanket as the newborn finally gave in to the sleepiness.

"Sweet dreams, my love"


End file.
